‘The Bachelor': Was Race a Factor in Arie Luyendyk Jr Getting the Gig?

“The Bachelor” had a surprise up its sleeve Thursday when the venerable ABC dating franchise announced that its Season 22 star will be Arie Luyendyk Jr. This was a definite curveball for viewers who expected that the show’s lead would likely be plucked from Rachel Lindsay’s recent stint on “The Bachelorette.”

Indeed, most fans found themselves scratching their heads that the network was dusting off Luyendyk Jr., the runner-up on “Bachelorette” Season 8 back in 2012, who has not been a visible part of the series in recent years.

His selection follows the just-concluded “Bachelorette” run for Lindsay, the franchise’s first African-American lead. It is typically customary for the Bachelor to be picked from the most recent “Bachelorette” season; Lindsay’s runner-up, Peter Kraus, was the top choice for many fans, although he was apparently reticent to sign on, following his unwillingness to propose to Lindsay, who got engaged to Bryan Abasolo during her finale that aired this summer.

The choice of Lindsay as Bachelorette was widely heralded as forward progress for the show, although some viewers accused producers of treating racism as entertainment during her season.

Another candidate with fan support was Eric Bigger, Lindsay’s second runner-up. He told TheWrap in late August that he was interested in getting a chance to hand out the roses but had at that time not yet been contacted by producers about the opportunity.

Given the out-of-the-blue nature of Luyendyk Jr.’s selection, was race a factor in the choice?

“I think race played a role in Eric not being chosen, though I don’t think it was the only factor,” Treva Lindsey, associate professor of women’s, gender and sexuality studies at Ohio State University, told TheWrap. “The selection of someone from seasons ago seems misguided and perhaps partially responsive to a season in which race/racism were much more visible.”

“I think that’s a much more difficult concept,” Kristen Warner, University of Alabama associate professor of journalism and creative media, told TheWrap about picking a black male star. “I think a black Bachelorette, there’s something that feels like a much more accessible concept than a black Bachelor.”

She pointed out that while the show had a diverse group of guys on Lindsay’s season, accomplishing this required producers to change their typical selection process. That included the show announcing Lindsay as Bachelorette prior to her exit on Nick Viall’s “Bachelor” season, in order to have more time to get the word out.

“There’s just a lot of work that went into how to get her to the place where she could become the next Bachelorette,” Warner said. “If that’s the work that they had to do to get to the Bachelorette, I think there’s just going to have to be so much more labor for the Bachelor.”

For his part, Bigger told TheWrap that having a black Bachelor would be a great move, both for the show and the nation.

“I think having someone different would definitely open people’s eyes because it’s perspective,” he said. “I always think anything new is great because you haven’t seen it before, you don’t know what it is. Of course, anything new would be great because it’s a different side, it’s a different demographic, its a different experience, it’s a different outlook, it brings people together in a different way.”

ABC declined to comment for this story.

'Bachelor' and 'Bachelorette' Villains Ranked From Bad to Worst (Photos)

As the end of "The Bachelor" Season 21 nears, let's take a look back at the long-running ABC reality show's infamous troublemakers. Here is our ranking of both "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" villains, from bad to worst:

ABC

Nick Viall, "The Bachelorette," Season 10, Season 11; "The Bachelor," Season 21

This season's current bachelor did his time as a bad boy in two past seasons of "The Bachelorette." He isolated himself from all other contestants and also made a surprise, unwelcomed appearance on a season in which he wasn't even cast.

ABC

Tierra LiCausi, "The Bachelor," Season 17

From several meltdowns to a hospital trip, LiCausi (left) fit the bill of nemesis perfectly, complete with her own evil laughter.

ABC

Rozlyn Papa, "The Bachelor," Season 14

Not a traditional "Bachelor" villain, Papa was booted off the show for allegedly having an affair with one of the producers.

Olivia’s mouth, toes and aggression left viewers both cringing and laughing. Her transition from fan favorite to villain was rapid, and her legacy on the internet will remain for years to come. (And if you don't know what we're talking about, look up the now infamous meme.)

ABC

Michelle Money, "The Bachelor," Season 11

Michelle was aggressive with both pursuing her season's Bachelor and attacking fellow contestants. Money’s rivalry and ultimate confrontation with nemesis AshLee Frazier will go down in the show's history as one of the most heated.

Chad’s obsession with working out and threatening fellow contestants made him a foe to remember. While many disliked him for his brash nature, his insults were wittier than most villains before him.

ABC

Corrine Olympios, "The Bachelor," Season 21

In the short span of the last two months, Corinne has established her legacy as one of the most entertaining villains in "Bachelor" history. From her dependence on her nanny Raquel, to napping through several events, fans were both relieved and sad to see her ousted toward the end of the 2017 season.

ABC

Kelsey Poe, "The Bachelor," Season 19

She used her story of being a widow to garner sympathy and screen time, and openly admitted to manipulating her season's Bachelor with her husband’s death. She is also remembered for having a panic attack before a rose ceremony, and then immediately joking about how host Chris Harrison couldn’t eliminate her.

ABC

Bentley Williams, "The Bachelorette," Season 7

This contestant was dubbed one of Chris Harrison’s least favorite suitors of all time. Williams purposely set out to make his Bachelorette cry and faked many of his interactions with her.

ABC

Courtney Robertson, "The Bachelor," Season 16

With her own book “I Didn’t Come Here To Make Friends,” Robertson clearly prides herself on achieving supervillain status. Mocking other contestants, lying to the Bachelor and sabotaging dates, Robertson cemented herself as one of the most hated of the entire series.

ABC

Juan Pablo Galavis, "The Bachelorette," Season 9; "The Bachelor," Season 18

Between making crude comments to his contestants, to being openly homophobic, Galavis tops this list of ultimate villains from the reality series.

As the end of "The Bachelor" Season 21 nears, let's take a look back at the long-running ABC reality show's infamous troublemakers. Here is our ranking of both "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" villains, from bad to worst: